1970-1990
At the turn of the new decade, things were still progressing admirably for Wayne State College. The school continued to graduate students in record numbers as previous enrollment highs were coming to fruition. New faculty members were brought on board and dorm occupancy continued to stay close to 100 percent.
Brandenburg’s resignation as president of Wayne State College in 1973, after 17 years at the helm, marked the end of a major era in Wayne State’s history. Brandenburg would be remembered as one of the most influential presidents in Wayne State College’s history. He helped change the culture of the school as it made the transition from a teaching college to a more comprehensive institution. Ten major building projects and two large remodeling projects were overseen.
Brandenburg stayed on at Wayne State to return to teaching, recalling, “Teaching is my first love. I want to finish my career the way it began, teaching.” Sadly, it was not to last, and Brandenburg died in 1975. In his honor, the original Wayne State administration building was renamed the Brandenburg Education Building as a lasting tribute to his long and distinguished service to students, the college, the community of Wayne, and Northeast Nebraska.
International exchange program
When the Vietnam-era draft ended, so did high enrollment numbers for many colleges, including Wayne State. The Seymour administration responded to the decline in enrollment numbers and budget by broadening the appeal of the college, expanding its horizons, and appealing to private funding. Foreign institutes were planned for the summers, and students from Scandinavia and Wayne State traded homelands and campuses as a part of an international cultural exchange program. This was followed by a Latin American Institute emphasizing the study of Latin American culture, history, economics, political development, and U.S. foreign policy – culminating in a cultural trip to Mexico. Later, the college would add institutes to England and Spain as well.
A positive note
The change from a teacher’s college to a more liberal arts-focused institution was continued in the early 1970s. Ten years prior, nearly all students at the college were in teacher education – with only 3 percent taking non-teaching degrees. In 1971-72, 29 percent graduated with non-teaching degrees, with the largest increases in medical technology and business.
While the building boom of the 1950s and 1960s came to an abrupt end, the applied science and home economics programs benefited from the completion of a new Applied Sciences Hall, named for Dr. Walter Benthack, a member of the college governing board (1939-45) and a prominent Wayne physician for more than half a century.
It’s the economy
As the 1980s began, the nation was entering a new era. The decade ushered in new levels of social and economic upheaval. Japan became a strong economic competitor to the U.S., and global manufacturing began relocating to newly industrializing nations like Mexico, Korea, and Taiwan, in search of cheaper labor. Middle Eastern oil resources became an increasingly crucial factor in the world and U.S. economy. These events would “trickle down” to Nebraska and naturally affect Wayne State as well. When the nationwide recession of the early 1980s struck, land values collapsed and often forced farmers to struggle to keep their land. In response, some Nebraskans left farming, weakening the already tender economies of the rural communities. The federal debt tripled, and in 1987, the stock market lost nearly a quarter of its value.
The farm crisis
The economic downturn of the 1980s caused thousands of farm families to lose their land because of low farm prices and tremendous debt. This created real problems as shrinking communities had fewer children to send to school. With fewer people, there was less business, and so there were fewer jobs available – and hence the migration continued. In 1985, Tim Wrage, a 1971 Wayne State College graduate from Emerson, began fighting for farmers who were in danger of losing their family farms. Wrage’s own farm was in danger, and he took the challenge personally by accepting the leadership of the 30,000-member Farm Crisis Committee. Wrage knew farmers had to find a new path in order to survive economically, and he felt that the Farm Crisis Committee could help farmers survive these difficult times.
In March 1982, President Lyle Seymour prepared to step down after 10 years in the presidency. While his years as president were marked by economic and enrollment hard times, he had a longer and more varied association with Wayne State, as a student, faculty member, and administrator, than any other president in the school’s history. His positive and gracious demeanor and his concern for the welfare of students, faculty, and the entire Wayne State community were important factors in helping the college get through a critical period in its history. More than any other single individual, Seymour earned the title of “Mr. Wayne State.”
Dr. Ed Elliot brings new ideas to Presidency
Dr. Ed Elliot was appointed by the board of trustees as the seventh president of Wayne State College. Elliot came to Wayne State College in 1971 as full-time faculty member and director of graduate studies. He was dean of special studies from 1973 to 1975, vice president for academic affairs from 1975 to 1980, and vice president of the college from 1980 to 1982.
In difficult economic times with a declining high school age population, Elliot encouraged the college to begin a new dimension in institutional advancement. It included the coordination of fundraising, public relations, student recruitment, alumni development, and market research.
As a part of this new dynamic program, Elliot secured legislative approval for granting the master’s degree in business administration (MBA). These changes not only increased enrollment, but provided a valuable service to the communities of Northeast Nebraska, as once again the college filled important roles in helping local people gain the education they needed to be successful.
In 1983, the college had seen an almost 4 percent increase in enrollment. This was a positive sign and underscored the confidence that people in the Midwest had in Wayne State College. It was also a reflection of the continued efforts of the staff and the faculty to provide an excellent education and learning environment for the students.
In 1985, the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum officially recognized Wayne State College as a teaching and community arboretum and authorized it to use that designation to increase public awareness of the indigenous Nebraska plants included in its landscape. The Wayne State Arboretum developed a nature trail, labeled the trees included in its campus, and developed a campus nature center.
Diamond Jubilee
Wayne State observed its 75th anniversary as a state institution in 1985, with a Diamond Jubilee celebration that involved nearly the entire college. The fall celebration ran from early September until Thanksgiving break. The theme was “75 Years of Educational Excellence,” and much of Wayne State’s history was reviewed and relived.
Elliot’s successor
The year was a turning point in another way as well. After a short three-year tenure as president, Elliot accepted the presidency of Central Missouri State University, returning to his home state. Elliot left an impressive record behind. During his brief tenure, the college’s enrollment increased each year. He created Achievement Day and awarded the school’s first honorary doctorate. The Alumni Association established active, organized chapters in six states. Elliot was responsible for the President’s Society, an organization for high-level giving to the Foundation. Elliot also cleared the way for Wayne State’s first significant building project in more than a decade, a $3.14 million Recreation Center addition to the Rice Auditorium physical education complex. It was completed two years after he left Wayne State.
Dr. Thomas Coffey was appointed as Wayne State College’s eighth president in February of 1986. A native Minnesotan, he came to Wayne State from the presidency of Thomas More College near Covington, Ky. Coffey’s time as president was cut short when, after a strong “no confidence” vote by the faculty and a hearing into internal administrative problems by the board of trustees, he abruptly resigned. He had been in office only one year.
A grant and a gift
The first honorary doctor of laws degree was awarded to the new governor, Kay Orr. Projections for freshman enrollment were up, and the alumni Phonathon saw a new high, with nearly double the contributions of 1986. It would continue to establish new records almost every year during the coming decade.
Shane Giese, executive director of the Wayne State College Foundation, proudly reported that the Nebraska Scholars Program, newly renamed the John G. Neihardt Scholars Program, had received a significant contribution to its endowment from the Burlington Northern Foundation. A sad event also proved to be a great boon to the school in a much needed time. Mrs. Barbara Buckley, a 1920 graduate, demonstrated her fondness and pride in Wayne State College by leaving one-third of her estate, valued at nearly $1 million, to her alma mater. In 1993, a plaque identifying the Barbara Neiswanger Buckley Computer Laboratory was unveiled on the first floor of the Brandenburg Education Building.
Dr. Donald Mash takes the helm
Dr. Donald J. Mash, inaugurated as Wayne State College’s ninth president, would prove to be one of WSC’s great innovators. Mash came to Wayne State College from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. During his more than 13-year tenure at George Mason, where he was executive vice president for administration, he was instrumental in helping the institution grow from 5,000 to more than 18,000 students. The Wall Street Journal featured George Mason on its front page in 1985 as an example of an institution of higher education that was successful, despite a shrinking college-age population and federal cutbacks.